Former presidential candidate Howard Dean, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will be in Lawrence next Friday for a private fund-raiser and public rally at Liberty Hall.

Dean, a former Vermont governor, has pledged to rebuild state Democratic parties in largely Republican states.

“He knows how to build the party from the grassroots up,” said Larry Gates, chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party. “And we are thrilled he chose Kansas as the place to start.”

Rex Powell, a retired Lawrence teacher who campaigned in Iowa for the Dean candidacy in 2004, said he was excited.

“I think it is great,” Powell said. “It’s like missionary work. His purpose is to go to all the brothers and the sisters in the red states, let them know they are known and cared for, that we’ll make this a better country and we’ll help fix it.”

But Republican activist John Altevogt said he doubted Dean would have much appeal outside Lawrence, the state’s liberal hotbed.

“He’s coming to the right place,” Altevogt said. “It’s not like he’d gain much ground in Olathe.”

Altevogt added: “From this wonderful vision of him screaming like a banshee to the extremism of his positions, he’s exactly who you’d want for your opposition’s leadership.”

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Democratic officials said Dean would appear at a private fund-raiser in the home of Lawrence residents John and Nancy Hiebert before taking the Liberty Hall stage at 5 p.m. Tickets to the Liberty Hall event will be $5.

“I’m thrilled that he’s coming to town,” said Kathy Greenlee, chairwoman of the Douglas County Democratic Party. “He’s very interested in helping state parties grow.”

Dean came out of nowhere in 2003 to be a leading contender for last year’s Democratic presidential nomination. He used the Internet to build support and raise money in innovative fashion before his candidacy flamed out.

He apparently retains the devotion of his former supporters, however. Despite a new poll released this week showing Kansas to be one of the reddest states in the nation — with 43 percent of the population registered Republican, trailing only Nebraska and Utah — Powell said he believed Dean could help local Democrats build influence.

“There’s going to be so god-awful many people who want to come to this that Liberty Hall will be bursting at its seams,” Powell said. “We’ll have to find a bigger venue.”